[denray]

This is the trestle side of Wolf Mountain ,I used this mountain for the transition between the wooden trestle and the steel bridge,

 

[denray]

The back side of Wolf Mountain with bridges in view
Dennis

 

[denray]

This is the form that I used to make the leaning part of Wolf Mt. Nothing fancy a piece of Aluminum being held up by the cement poured the day before, propted up by a couple boards and an old bridge I had laying around, anything that will secure it. I had Rebar in the dried cement and I made a wrap of the wire mesh, it looked like a hat band, I placed it around the rebar and filled it all with the sand mix cement. Let it set 2-3 hours removed the form and shaped the cement. That happened to be at about 10PM under a couple lights. I came out at about 6Am and could still define the lines and make them much sharper detailed.

My detail tool is a tuck tool used to retuck brick with. 1/4 inch wide and about 8'' long.

I love it

 

[denray]

 

[denray]

I added another 6-8" in height to it the next day, and created the wolf head on top
Dennis

 

[Don Howard]

Thanks for the pics. And ideas.

Very nice!

 

[John J]

Hey Denis
Thank you so much for posting these pic and telling us the way you did things. I was doing the same thing but had the problem of the cement falling off like you said. I am using a Stucco mix. Thanks for the INFO about the TUCKPOINTING tool as a sculpting tool

Thanks to you I found out I was on the right Rail Raod but wrong track. ( Sometning akin to Right church wrong pew.)

All of us appreciate you efforts to post these pictures. Diffacult as it was.

 

[pete]

How did you add the color to your mountains paint, cement dies and did you put a sealer over the finished product. The work you have done is outstanding.My wife and myself are starting to do the cement/burlap over chicken wire method. I have been expermenting with cement dyes while mixing the cement to use with the burlap so i can get an idea what looks ok when we start to apply the finished layer. Thanks for the pictures they helped a lot

 

[Jerry Barnes]

Nice work! Jerry

 

[denray]

 

[denray]

 

[denray]

Shay starting to come on to the 30 ft trestle

 

[denray]

This is my depot with the spires in the back, That mountain technique is entirely different. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif
I have taken large blocks of polystyrene,(styrafoam) and with a hot knife and shaped the blocks as I wanted them and sprayed a vinyl patch cement over them through a 20 dollar Habor Freight sprayer. I sprayed from 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Warning this technique needs to be used away from traffic areas and where you will not be walking, kneeling or leaning over it. I have learned to get the same effects out of cement. Either by stacking it up for 4-5 days or using a form that has been screwed together, about 6x6 inches and 24" tall, after it has dryed for a couple hours remove the screws and remove the forms, Sprayed down with either Pam spray or WD 40 makes the forms release much easier. Then shape the cement to the desired shape.
Dennis

 

[denray]

Water Fall, the water falls about 5 feet, you can see some concrete spires in front of the falls
I do put a 3/8 rebar in the spire I may step or lean on them, I walk in my river bed, so everything next or close to it must be cement. The river bed is 16 gauge steel bent to a trough shape and 12 feet long and cement poured on the sides, loose gravel and cement in the bottom to get the effects and desired look.

All coloring is done after the cement has been power washed off, The stone paint you can buy at Lowes works awsome. most of the waterfall has been sprayed with that and the complete retainer wall in front of the depot has been sprayed with this paint.
Dennis

 

[pete]

Dennis the stone paint that you get at lowes does it have a brand name and does it come in different colores. Once again your work is awsome do you know how many lbs or tons of cement you used

 

[denray]

Pete
Look for the aresol cans with the real rough or textured caps, yes it comes in I think four different colors. you can spray it on and give it a extra tinting with acrylic paint mixed with water and sprayed through a squirt bottle.
How many pounds of cement/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blink.gifgood question, I know rabbit mountain with the tunnels go through has about 5000lbs in it, I know the rock method is heavy also,
I like this effect because it is hard to get this look out of stone. I will buy 10-15 bags of sand mix, either 60 or 80 lbs bags depends on where I get it. I dump a bag in the mixer and dump into wheel barrel, I will dump in usually 240 lbs in and rinse the mixer, it takes me about 10 minutes to mix 240 lbs and rinse the mixer, it takes from 30-60 minutes to use up that batch. I do one more batch and wash the mixer good, place that batch and my wife calls for supper about then, I come back out after supper and detail the rock. I have a friend that helps me and when he helps I will do a bigger job using as much as 800-1200 lbs, is it easy NO NO NO I love the effect, it is hard to get the effect any other way. The depth of cuts the depth of relief in the walls and outcroppings can be awesome.
Thanks Dennis

 

[John J]

You mentioned the National Garden Rail Way convention. You live in Phoenix?

 

[denray]

John
I live in southwest Missouri
Dennis

 

[Rods UP 9000]

Dennis,
THANK FOR SHARING HOW YOU DO THIS.

You did a good job on explaining how you did it. I know it's easier to show how to do something that explain it.

I take it when you say sand mix, you mean MORTAR mix.

Your work is SUPER nice.

Also, Dennis this would make a good clinic at next years HAGRS.

Thanks again
Rodney

 

[denray]

Rodney
Not motar mix, sand mix is a mixture of PORTLAND cement and sand, motar mix has lime in the mixture, I am sure there are experts will clarify this, I am told that motar mmix is not as strong as the sand mix. I have used for alot of my mountains the mixture of play sand and portland cement, the ratio of 2.5-3 of sand to 1 part cement, I prefer playsand because of the extreme fine granulars in the mixture, great for details. On the other hand the sand mix works very well and is a no brainer, dump in the bag, add water, and mix up and bingo, ready to use.
I bought a mixture that used larger sand even small gravel, I did not like it because the small gravel makes it hard to detail.
I might consider a clinic, I have been conversing with Marty, and it looks like I will do one at his meet in Sept. A little easier to do one one site, but I could do one also at a show, If I know ahead I am going to do one I could probably do a video, and maybe a power point, I think that would work great, We do video's for our business, so we have the editing software, that would help.
Let me know if you want me to plan on it.
Thanks Dennis